I Love You
Ye Youqing moved slightly, and the iron chains in her hands clinked, exposing the wounds on her wrists that had been rubbed raw.
The visitor paused, carefully picking up the chains to avoid pulling at Ye Youqing’s wounds. Ye Youqing took a few breaths, like the faint smoke of a dying candle, barely audible.
When had Ci Ke ever seen Ye Youqing like this? Even though she had been injured before, she had never exuded such a weak and decayed aura.
Her eyes were filled with hatred, staring intently at Ye Youqing’s hands bound by heavy chains. Seeing the bloodstains on them, her nails dug into her palms, leaving red marks.
Ye Youqing moved again, leaning back against the wall, her eyelashes barely lifting, revealing her clear black and white eyes. Under the shadow of her lashes, she looked at Ci Ke dimly.
“Sorry, Ci Ke,” she said.
Ci Ke’s red lips trembled slightly, but before she could speak, Ye Youqing interrupted again: “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I don’t know what else I can say.”
She leaned back against the wall, tears rolling down her fair cheeks like shattered crystals in the dim light from the window.
“I will die, won’t I?” she said again.
“No, you won’t.” Ci Ke quickly interrupted her, stopping her mid-sentence. She didn’t move again, just stared fixedly at the sparkle in Ye Youqing’s eyes.
Ye Youqing let out a long sigh, her pale lips quivered slightly.
“You must have returned to the capital by now, you must still be angry with me,” Ye Youqing murmured. She wanted to reach out and touch the face of the woman in front of her, but as she exerted force, the chains pulled at her wounds, causing her to gasp in pain and close her eyes in endurance.
Ci Ke quickly grasped her shoulder, her eyes red with anguish.
“In the past, I really didn’t know what it meant to care for someone,” Ye Youqing said, her consciousness fading. After calming her erratic breathing, she suddenly spoke.
“Until I realized that from a certain day onwards, I couldn’t bear to see you suffer even the slightest grievance. I wished I could hold you in the palm of my hand and protect you all day long.”
“Perhaps you don’t like it this way, but I…” Ye Youqing exhaled, her phoenix eyes gazing at the pitch-black beams of the ceiling, a hint of confusion spreading in her eyes.
In that moment, she suddenly seemed like a child, crying and somewhat at a loss.
“Do you want to know how to make me come back?” Ci Ke suddenly leaned in, whispering near her neck.
Ye Youqing’s eyes flickered, focusing on Ci Ke as she straightened up again. Looking into her eyes, Ye Youqing nodded.
“Kiss me,” Ci Ke said.
The tea-colored pupils dilated for a moment. Ye Youqing blinked, squeezing out the moisture in her eyes. The face that was originally a double vision in front of her suddenly became solid. The candle flame was somehow lit, finely outlining the brows and eyes, casting shadowy reflections.
Ci Ke reached out her hand, supporting the back of Ye Youqing’s head, positioning it upright.
Feeling the warm palm rubbing the nape of her neck, Ye Youqing was both shocked and compliant, lowering her head as the familiar fragrance wafted again. Lips were already at the edge of her mouth.
Ci Ke tilted her head to one side. Their lips and teeth met, different from before. This time, Ci Ke was very proactive. She mimicked Ye Youqing’s manner, licking the other’s chapped lips, moistening them.
Ye Youqing had little strength left. She exerted no force, merely moving with Ci Ke, feeling the nimble tongue’s touch, gently accommodating it.
The iron chains behind clinked as they touched each other. Ye Youqing’s hands could only be placed behind her back, and after a while, it became somewhat strenuous. Her body trembled, leaning towards Ci Ke.
Ci Ke leaned back, supporting herself on the ground, barely catching her.
“Is it really you?” Ye Youqing’s eyes cleared up significantly. She looked in shock at the familiar upturned eye corners, now inexplicably tinged with blood, both alluring and sorrowful.
So this time, it wasn’t an illusion.
Ci Ke bit her full lips, then suddenly lowered her head again. Finding Ye Youqing’s lips, she gently rubbed them.
Ye Youqing understood her intention, and feeling a mix of surprise and joy, she decided to go all in. She forcefully pried open her neat, pearl-like teeth, fishing in the clear pool, binding her tongue tip.
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Like thousands of silk threads lightly caressing and wandering over the skin, Ci Ke’s chin lifted slightly, her body swaying gently, her breathing gradually becoming rapid.
Ye Youqing didn’t kiss for too long before pulling away. However, Ci Ke suddenly leaned forward, biting down hard. Ye Youqing winced in pain, letting out an “um” sound, and a sweet, metallic taste of blood spread between their lips and teeth.
When Ye Youqing leaned back against the wall in surprise, faint blood stains clung to the corner of her mouth. She watched as Ci Ke wiped away her blood from her lips and then extended her sleeve to wipe the corner of Ye Youqing’s mouth.
Ye Youqing didn’t blame her; instead, she lowered her head and suddenly laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” Ci Ke paused her actions and raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t expect that you would actually bite someone.” Ye Youqing smiled, tugging at her wound, and said in a gentle voice with a frown.
Ci Ke looked at her and suddenly leaned forward, her teeth grazing Ye Youqing’s earlobe. With another slight force, Ye Youqing took a sharp breath.
In the end, Ci Ke couldn’t bear to really bite. She withdrew her teeth, reached out to pull out a small knife given by Shi Li, and cut the ropes on Ye Youqing’s legs. Grabbing Ye Youqing’s uninjured arm, she forcefully pulled her up.
The scene before her eyes turned into a mix of black and white. Ye Youqing felt a wave of dizziness. When she opened her eyes again, she was lying sideways on the bed, her head resting on a soft pillow.
“Ci Ke, you…”
“General Dai was a close friend of my brother in their youth. They both learned martial arts from my father. I asked my brother to plead with him to let me come and take care of you,” Ci Ke quickly explained. She then took out some ointment from her bosom and began to change the bandages.
At the moment she saw the wound, Ci Ke hesitated. She bit the inside of her cheek before continuing.
“Didn’t you return to the capital?” Ye Youqing asked weakly, her gaze never leaving Ci Ke.
Ci Ke paused and looked at her coldly. “You’ve done everything to me, and now you just want to leave?”
“I am not someone to be trifled with,” Ci Ke said softly, tying a knot in the gauze in her hand. “Since we have kissed, even as a ghost, I will not let you go.”
Ye Youqing smiled weakly.
“But this time, it seems I really can’t escape,” Ye Youqing’s smile quickly faded as she looked longingly at Ci Ke. “If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have deceived you into coming out. You wouldn’t have been heartbroken because of me.”
“Who would be heartbroken because of you? You think too highly of yourself,” Ci Ke said, avoiding the lamplight so that Ye Youqing wouldn’t see the momentary sorrow in her eyes.
“Everything was my own choice. I wanted to leave the capital with you, to see this distant place. It was something I had always dreamed of,” Ci Ke intentionally made her voice sound calm.
“If I truly die here, you…” Ye Youqing tentatively began.
“I will desperately kill the people who harmed you,” Ci Ke interjected, her voice hoarse from suppressed emotion, mixed with intense hatred. “Those beasts, they all deserve to die.”
Ye Youqing’s heart skipped a beat.
“Ci Ke, come here,” Ye Youqing suddenly said.
The night grew darker and darker, the moon had disappeared, and the darkness was like thick ink, swallowing the entire city of Weizhou.
Just as the third watch arrived, the crisp sound of a gong echoed through the long street, passing through the quiet government courtyard, and with the vibration of the air, it reached Ye Youqing’s ears.
She lay quietly on the bed; this was the only time in three days that her mind was clear.
Her blood-stained hand touched the cold wall behind her, knocking repeatedly.
After an unknown number of knocks, she suddenly heard several extremely agitated and terrified barks of dogs. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, screams and cries erupted instantly, and the footsteps of hundreds or even thousands of people filled the long streets and alleys.
“Fire! Fire! There’s a fire at King Si Rong’s mansion!” The night watchman, who had just struck the gong, ran back while shouting, his voice passing by the government office’s gate and fading towards the west of the city.
At the same time, there was no longer silence outside the courtyard. It seemed that someone had broken into the government office. The guards’ stern shouts were heard, followed by the clashing sounds of short weapons, the noise waking up the entire official residence.
The door suddenly opened and closed again. A slender figure tiptoed in, wavering as she ran, stumbling to reach Ye Youqing. In a flurry, she grasped Ye Youqing’s wrist and, with trembling hands, inserted a brass key into the lock. It took her two tries to turn it open.
The heavy chains that had been wrapped around Ye Youqing’s wrist finally clattered to the ground. Feeling a sudden lightness, Ye Youqing retracted her hand in pain and, with Lian’er’s support, managed to stand up.
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“Why is it you?” Ye Youqing hurriedly asked.
“Miss Ci Ke stole the key and asked me to come…” Lian’er answered timidly, pulling Ye Youqing towards the door and listening intently to the sounds outside.
“Ci Ke? I didn’t ask her to do this, why would she…” Ye Youqing said anxiously.
Before Ye Youqing could finish speaking, the guards outside, sensing something amiss, quickly opened the door. Three burly men saw Ye Youqing at the doorway and fiercely reached out to capture her. Ye Youqing raised her hand to block, but saw the delicate and frail Lian’er beside her leap up. With two swift palm strikes, she knocked two of the men to the ground.
Ye Youqing could barely register her movements, only seeing the butterfly-like hem of her skirt flutter in the autumn wind. When she looked down again, Lian’er was pressing her knee against the remaining man’s chest, and with a punch, she rendered the seven-foot-tall man unconscious.
Even in such a life-and-death moment, Ye Youqing couldn’t help but be astonished by the scene before her.
She found it hard to reconcile the highly skilled woman before her with the tearful Lian’er she once knew.
Lian’er stood up, holding her skirt, grabbed Ye Youqing, and quickly ran towards the archway. Outside, the scene was chaotic with the glint of swords and blades everywhere. Broken flower pots and soil littered the ground, mixed with fallen leaves that stung the eyes.
“Miss Ci Ke said there are too many guards; it’s nearly impossible to get you out from the outside.” Lian’er said, pulling Ye Youqing to dodge the swords and with one kick, sent a blocking guard flying half a zhang (about 1.67 meters) away.
Ye Youqing saw the figures of Ma Da and Ma Xiao amidst the fighting crowd, her nose tingling with emotion, but she didn’t look further. Seizing the chaos, she turned and rushed out of the open gate.
Suddenly, the towering flames illuminated almost half the city. People holding buckets and basins of water were coming and going, some with faces blackened by the smoke, running towards the King Si Rong’s mansion in the west of the city.
“Miss Ye!” someone shouted from behind. Then, the guards swarmed forward. Ye Youqing’s wound throbbed with pain and numbness, leaving her no choice but to let Lian’er drag her in the opposite direction to escape.
She felt she had exhausted all her strength, but it was clear she had long since reached her limit. The footsteps behind them grew closer. General Dai leaped forward, his robe fluttering in the breeze, landing firmly in front of her, blocking her path completely.
“Miss Ye! The city is filled with imperial guards; you can’t escape!” The man’s eyes reddened for some reason, standing immobile at the intersection. “Military orders cannot be disobeyed. If I let you go, not only I but even the two elders in the capital would be implicated. I truly dare not!”
Ye Youqing could only stand firm by holding onto Lian’er’s arm. Her wound tore open, and blood flowed down her palm, dripping to the ground.
“The Emperor must have secretly ordered you to kill me a long time ago, hasn’t he? Why haven’t you acted?” Ye Youqing suppressed her heavy breathing, straightened her back, and spoke softly.
General Dai was speechless, his large hand clenched into a fist.
“You can’t bear to do it; you think I don’t deserve to die,” Ye Youqing continued, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
“Miss Ye…” General Dai began, torn and hesitant, but was interrupted by Ye Youqing.
“Step aside, and I promise I won’t implicate you,” she said softly.
The man’s grip tightened even more, but his feet took a slight step back. Just at that critical moment, someone suddenly leaped out from the imperial guards. Although they landed a bit unsteady, they didn’t fall, and they charged straight at General Dai. The two grappled and rolled to the side of the road.
“Big brother, hurry!” the man shouted through gritted teeth.
“Zhou Hong?” Ye Youqing was startled, then her hand was grasped by another soft, five-fingered hand. She was pulled along, running on the stone road made slippery by the firefighting efforts.
The woman’s long hair was blown by the wind, constantly brushing against her nose, leaving a lingering, tender sensation.
The imperial guards behind them were somehow intercepted, with only a few giving chase. Thick smoke billowed from the raging fire, rising into the sky and merging with the dark clouds.
As they neared King Si Rong’s mansion, the surrounding commoners and soldiers extinguishing the fire were noisy and chaotic. The autumn wind had turned scorching hot, baking their faces until they cracked and peeled.
Ci Ke stopped in her tracks. She didn’t know when the city gate at the end of the long street had been tightly shut, but imperial guards on horseback stood at the entrance. The city wall behind them seemed to swell in the night, like a giant beast, blocking all the scenery outside the city.
There was no way to escape.
Yet Ye Youqing laughed. She raised her hand and threaded her fingers through Ci Ke’s hair, pressing their foreheads together.
“Ye Youqing, don’t…” Ci Ke grasped her arm tightly, pleading in a low voice, unwilling to let go.
General Dai had somehow broken free from Zhou Hong and was now charging towards them with his men. Seeing this, Ye Youqing gently released Ci Ke, turned around, and ran into the King Si Rong’s mansion.
The grand hall was ablaze, burning fiercely. Splintered wood and burning debris continuously fell from the fire, crackling as they hit the ground.
She faced the grand hall and stopped in her tracks.
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“Don’t…” Ci Ke was still holding onto her, unwilling to let go. Her beautiful fox-like eyes, glistening like rubies from crying, and her long hair fluttered in the wind.
Ye Youqing shook her head, forcefully prying off Ci Ke’s fingers and holding them all in her palm.
People had already run into the courtyard. General Dai, covering his mouth and nose, coughed and looked in terror at the woman standing upright in the midst of the smoke and fire. Her clothes were torn, revealing a delicate arm, her appearance disheveled, but her heart full of tender affection.
She looked at the girl in front of her who was crying uncontrollably and gently patted her on the top of her head with affection.
“Zhou Hong.” Ye Youqing suddenly addressed Zhou Hong, who was being held like a chick by a palace guard nearby. Then, she pressed on Ci Ke’s shoulder with one hand and forcefully pushed her forward.
Zhou Hong let out a shout, kicked away the guard beside him, and rushed forward to catch Ci Ke. Ci Ke struggled silently, pushing him away, trying to turn back to Ye Youqing, but Zhou Hong held her tightly with all his might.
“Ye Youqing!” Ci Ke finally cried out, her voice sharp and desperate.
General Dai, who was nearby, slapped his forehead and urgently waved his hand, “What are you standing there for? Hurry and pull her back!”
As soon as the words fell, it was already too late. The woman, covered in blood and grime, slowly retreated up the steps, then leaped backward into the roaring flames.
Amid the screams and wails of the people all around, the woman curved her eyes into a smile. In the last moment before the flames consumed her, she ignored the rushing imperial guards and looked straight into Ci Ke’s eyes.
“I love you.” She mouthed.
LP: This is a ploy, right? She’s gonna pretend to be dead! Right?!!
